US Election Remains Close With 5 Days to Go

(Left) Former President Donald Trump greets supporters during a campaign event at the Rocky Mount Event Center in Rocky Mount, N.C., on Oct. 30, 2024. (Right) Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a Get Out the Vote rally in Raleigh, N.C., on Oct. 30, 2024. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Ryan M. Kelly/AFP via Getty Images

With less than five days to go before the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5, the race is very close and tensions are high, with both candidates leading by a close margin depending on which poll you read.

One Gallup poll revealed that more than 54 percent of voters have already cast their votes or plan to before Election Day, which is down from 64 percent during the previous 2020 election.

Early and absentee voting is generally more favored by Democrats and less so by Republicans, who view it as being only a necessity, although this year they have warmed to it, urging voters to vote as early as possible.

Historically, Republicans and Democrats are the two main parties in the United States, with the Republicans broadly analogous to the Conservative Party in the UK in terms of policy, and Democrats to the Labour Party.

With more than 66 million mail-in ballots having being requested according to the University of Florida Election Lab, it’s unlikely we will see the final results until days after Nov. 5.

It remains to be seen if it is as chaotic as the 2020 election, which was hindered by COVID-19 regulations leading to last minute rule changes in numerous states.

Both candidates gave their closing remarks this past week, with Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington, D.C. speaking to a crowd of 75,000 on Tuesday, presenting herself as a unifier and bringer of freedom and opportunity, indicating it’s time to “turn the page.”

Former President Donald Trump gave his closing remarks at the famous Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sunday, where he asked a crowd of 25,000 to “dream big again.”

In terms of policies, Trump is very “America first,” advocating for bringing back domestic manufacturing, strengthening border control, and stricter immigration policies, while supporting fossil fuels.

Harris is more internationally minded, with progressive policies in line with the United Nations, joining international agreements, a strong supporter of climate change and social justice, and prefers immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

In short, Trump, a billionaire businessman, has already served a term in which America which remained economically stable, although his time was disrupted by unfounded impeachments and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Harris’s policy proposals look very similar to President Joe Biden’s, which would indicate a presidency marked by more of the same. Although the Biden administration has assured Americans that the economy is stronger than it has been in recent years, some indicators show otherwise.

With the economy on people’s minds, a recent Gallup poll showed 72 percent of Americans are unsatisfied with the direction the country is going in, which could indicate a desire to turn the page in a different direction.